FURTHER EXPLANATIONS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9043, 9 March 1908, Page 5

FURTHER EXPLANATIONS.

Received March 8, 4.30 p.m. LONDON, March 7. Replying to a question in the House of Commons, Mr H. R. As<|uith stated that on February 28th Lord Tweedmouth received from the Kaiser a purely private and personal letter conceived in an entirely friendly spirit. The answer to that /etter was equally private and in""forrnal. Neither one letter nor the other was known or communicated to Cabinet. Mr Asquith said that he might add that in view of some suggestions that were being made chat before the Kaiser's letter had been received by Lord Tweedmouth. Cabinet had come to a final decision regarding the Naval Estimates for the year. The statement was received with BERLIN, March 7. The Foreign Office at Berlin has authorised Reuter's correspondent to make the following official statement:—"lt is untrue that the Kaiser attempted to interfsre with British naval plans. His letter merely corrected certain erroneous views prevalent in England regarding the German fleet. The Emperor is no tyro -~ in naval matters, and this step he %had a-perfect; right to take as a naval expert, and as such he is recognised in England. Just as the Emperor would reject any foreign attempt to decide the proportions of Germany's fleet, he would repudiate any idea of interfering with the affairs of the British Navy."